New TT Rear Axle Outer Bearing Sleeves

[Humblej]

I see the reproduction TT rear axle outer bearing sleeves available from the usual vendors are described as not having a dimple or grease cup hole, so my question is how are people making that work? I do not see myself easily drilling a hole in a hardened sleeve, and adding a dimple is impossible.

[Allan]

Jeff, the dimple is easy, just a simple "zot "with a mig welder. I have done this often to duplicate a rivet head where there is no rivet. Don't know about the greaser hole though.

Allan from down under.

[Humblej]

Well I don't have a mig welder.

[speedytinc]

If the sleeve is too hard for a carbide die grinder burr, you can grind a hole with a mounted stone.

[Scott_Conger]

An on-line company, "Drill America" offers all sorts of carbide endmills and drills (plus taps, dies, and an amazing array of other things) for a very reasonable price, and I have found their quality to be pretty darn good.

No, it isn't necessarily an easy "homeowner job" but a drill-press, low speed and some cutting oil, and a 3/8 hole can be made to appear in even the hardest heat-treated materials. As for the "ZOT" for the dimple, that's a magic marker, and a trip to, and request at the local muffler shop.

[Humblej]

Why does it fall on me to correct what the vendors are selling? The car axle sleeves are made correctly and are a very high quality. Is it due to low volume that good stuff is not available? Is this a commercial sleeve for something else that does not need a dimple and grease hole and is the closest thing available and therefor better than nothing? Not sure its actually better than nothing at this point, I can always use the original worn out sleeve as better than nothing I guess. Realistically my best option is to tear apart some more TT rear axles and try to find the best parts to make one good axle.

[CudaMan]

I'd complain to the Flanders vendors about the quality of their reproduction parts.

If there were such a thing as Flanders vendors.

[speedytinc]

Why does it fall on me to correct what the vendors are selling? The car axle sleeves are made correctly and are a very high quality. Is it due to low volume that good stuff is not available? Is this a commercial sleeve for something else that does not need a dimple and grease hole and is the closest thing available and therefor better than nothing? Not sure its actually better than nothing at this point, I can always use the original worn out sleeve as better than nothing I guess. Realistically my best option is to tear apart some more TT rear axles and try to find the best parts to make one good axle.

I wont argue the deficiencies in repop T parts. I have been corrected for my attitude on this matter in the past.

I would be happy ANYTHING was available for TT's, even partial parts.
The number of functional units compared to car models has to be 1 in 200 or more.
Manufacturing TT parts has to be a solid money looser.

[Scott_Conger]

My choice has always been: buy it or don't - your path is pretty clear with the attitude that it is everyone else's fault that you don't like the parts or can not make them serviceable to your requirements, so just put it back together with the old parts and report back soon how that choice works out.

I will wager that 75+% of the posters here would NOT PAY for a CORRECT part made to original specs due to the cost, and those who would, would complain so loudly and frequently that no vendor will ultimately put up with the bad press and lousy profit it entails.

"Yes", I am one of those "be happy with what you can get" folks, because without those 90% correct parts, 90% of our Ts would be gone right now.

I think as we less and less value Trades, and more and more rely on someone else, the ability to fix things ourselves or even discern quality from junk will become a complete thing of the past. I have hours of patience to help sadly-helpless people who through no fault of their own, lacked the wherewithal or mentor in their youth, to teach them how to do for themselves, but in my older age, I have developed a complete and total lack of empathy or time for whiners who won't move an inch toward helping themselves.

So don't miss your golden opportunity! Everyone is free to use their talent, time, and fortune to bless us with the ultimate in parts. I know that I have in the past, and have ALWAYS run up against some Schmo who is willing to do a $hite job for 1/2 the cost and twice the profit. Who needs that in their life? I sure don't and my withdrawal of almost all of my products from the market reflects that fact of life.

BTW- I just checked and for crying out loud, as they sit, they're less than $35 each! You could not get a bearing company to make less than QTY of 500, if at all, and I'd guess that they'd be in the $150+ range and all you'd have to do is put the other 498 of them on the shelf and find 249 customers. Good luck with that!

[dobro1956]

Scott, I agree 100%. Please keep making the high flow valves for us who do appreciate your work.

[A Whiteman]

Check the hardness of the new repro sleeves. So far they have been soft junk.

[Humblej]

Adrian,
Since you are the only TT owner to respond so far, let me ask, what are you using for outer bearing sleeves?